A 10-minute nightmare that began when Taylen Byndum carjacked a woman and her 1-year-old daughter in the West Loop will now cost the 19-year-old years of his life. Byndum, of Bolingbrook, pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated vehicular hijacking with a victim younger than 16, accepting a 9½-year sentence from Judge Adrienne Davis.
It all began simply enough. The 29-year-old woman and her daughter were seated in the back seat of the family’s 2019 Toyota Camry outside the post office at 433 West Harrison, while the girl’s father dashed inside to acquire the child’s passport, according to prosecutors. He left the car running so that his wife and daughter would be warm.
When he got back, the automobile, his wife, and his daughter were gone. This was particularly concerning because his wife does not drive. However, the situation was even worse than he had feared. Prosecutors claim that while the man was inside the post office, Byndum approached the mother, who was holding her daughter, pointed a gun at her, and said, “Let’s go!”
When she didn’t get out of the car quickly enough, Byndum and a 14-year-old girl jumped in and drove away, leaving the mother and baby in the back seat. The mother pleaded with the girl to stop, explaining that there was a baby in the car. She allegedly opened the back passenger door and yelled for help, striking another vehicle with the door and catching the attention of others nearby, according to prosecutors.
About ten minutes later, Byndum pointed the revolver at the woman again and ordered her to leave, according to prosecutors. She complied, and the 14-year-old drove westbound with Byndum in the passenger seat. The driver of the automobile that the woman hit with the passenger door heard her screams and was following the hijacked vehicle while speaking with a 911 operator. He stopped to assist the victims until police arrived.
A CPD aircraft quickly identified the stolen vehicle in traffic and guided ground officers to it, resulting in the arrests of Byndum and the 14-year-old in the 400 block of East 35th Street.
According to court records, Byndum is eligible for a 50% sentence reduction for good behaviour and has accumulated 809 days of credit in the Cook County Jail.
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